Concept Nissan self-driving car at 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Image: Dong liu/Shutterstock
This week, an organisation identified the 236 self-driving car start-ups to watch, while IoT in healthcare is expected to surge in value.
It was quite a busy week for the internet of things (IoT) in Ireland, with various academic and industry players aiming to develop and launch the latest innovations.
One such example was seen over at Dublin City University, which announced it will be the new home of a European Space Agency accelerator that aims to support the development of machine-to-machine and IoT technologies for satellite communications.
The pair have identified key areas of space communications that they hope will be explored by participants, including developing sensors to aid in search-and-rescue operations, and monitoring critical infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Irish IoT player Taoglas – with offices in Wexford and San Diego – was revealed as the new wireless magic provider behind the innovative Lighthouse smart camera.
Powered by AI, Lighthouse’s interactive assistant is a camera and sensing platform that interprets actions and then utilises the cloud to provide the homeowner with constant awareness of what’s happening inside the home.
Who are the self-driving car start-ups to watch?
While Google, Uber and Intel are just some of the tech giants best known for their efforts to manufacture a self-driving car, there are also hundreds of sprouting start-ups developing various aspects of this technology.
On that note, Comet Labs in the US has identified the 236 start-ups worth keeping an eye on, with a handy infographic.
Comet Labs describes itself as both a venture capital firm and research lab that invests in AI and transformative industries. It said it selected these start-ups based on both their technological prowess and lack of coverage in the press.
All of the companies are separated into seven different categories of development, ranging from on-board sensors to IoT for connected cars.
Quite a handy list for anyone interested in the future of automation.
Click on the image above to see the infographic in clearer detail. Infographic: Comet Labs
IoT market in healthcare to be worth $163bn by 2020
If there’s anything that investors and industry experts like to do in IoT, it’s trying to predict how much it will be worth in the years to come.
One common trait is the opinion that it will bring billions of dollars to everything it touches, particularly healthcare.
In a new report released this week by Accenture, analysts predicted that by 2020, the IoT for healthcare sector will be worth a staggering $120bn, growing 38.1pc between 2015 and then.
The online survey of CIOs and CEOs of health organisations found that close to two-thirds (73pc) of respondents were aware of the disruption that IoT is expected to cause.
However, just under half (49pc) admitted that their organisations’ directors held the same opinion, mostly due to a lack of understanding on the subject.
IoT for blockchain gets a new $2m fund
IoT and distributed ledger technology blockchain appear to be a match made in heaven.
With IoT connectivity to billions of devices and blockchain’s ability to be transparent and exact to the nearest millisecond of data transfer, investors are now eager to see what their combination holds.
To that end, a non-profit, open source IoT software organisation called Iota has revealed a new $2m fund to speed up the tandem development.
According to CIO, Iota’s code is based on an advanced blockchain technology called Tangle, which helps users to eliminate any transaction fees when using bitcoin payments.
“Every great open source project has a great ecosystem surrounding it; in many ways, it is the defining characteristic that separates a mediocre project from a great one,” said David Sønstebø, founder of Iota.
“A thriving ecosystem is a prerequisite for long-term success. The Iota Ecosystem Fund is backed by over $2m to open up a world of possibilities for developers and researchers to take the IOTA ecosystem even further.”
Concept Nissan self-driving car at 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Image: Dong liu/Shutterstock
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